1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Plasma Display Panel (PDP), and more particularly, to a PDP in which each of a pair of discharge sustain electrodes required for a sustain discharge is separated into two or more sub-electrodes and simultaneously, the separated sub-electrodes are formed in different areas, with the result that the PDP has a low capacitance and a high discharge efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a PDP is a Flat Panel Display (FPD) in which when a discharge gas is injected between two substrates on which a plurality of discharge electrodes are formed, a discharge occurs in the gas between the substrates, creating ultraviolet rays which excite fluorescent materials of phosphor layers, thereby forming a desired number, a letter, or a graphic image.
A conventional PDP includes a front substrate and a rear substrate. On an inner surface of the front substrate, a pair of sustain discharge electrodes (i.e., an X-electrode and a Y-electrode), a front dielectric layer, and a protective layer are sequentially formed. The front dielectric layer buries the X- and Y-electrodes, and the protective layer is disposed on the surface of the front dielectric layer are sequentially formed. Also, an electrode and a rear dielectric layer are formed on an inner surface of the rear substrate. The address electrode is disposed substantially perpendicular to the pair of discharge sustain electrodes, and the rear dielectric layer buries the address electrode.
Partition walls are disposed between the front substrate and the rear substrate to define discharge spaces, and red, green, and blue phosphor layers are coated inside the partition walls.
The functions of the conventional PDP having the above-described structure are as follows.
First, electrical signals are respectively supplied to the Y-electrode and the address electrode to select a discharge cell at the intersection thereof. Thereafter, an electrical signal is alternately supplied to the X- and Y-electrodes so that a surface discharge occurs, thereby creating ultraviolet rays. The red, green, and blue phosphor layers coated in the selected discharge cell emit visible light in response to the ultraviolet rays to create a still image or a moving image.
However, since not only the X- and Y-electrodes but also the front dielectric layer and the protective layer are sequentially formed on the inner surface of the front substrate, the front substrate transmits the visible rays emitted from the discharge cell at a transmissivity of less than 60%. For this reason, the conventional PDP cannot properly function as a highly efficient FPD.
Second, when the panel is driven for a long duration of time, a discharge diffuses toward the phosphor layers. The charged particles of the discharge gas cause ion sputtering to the phosphor layers through an electric field, thereby inducing a permanent afterimage.
Third, a discharge diffuses from a discharge gap between the X- and Y-electrodes toward outside of the discharge cell. Since the discharge diffuses along a plane of the front substrate, the conventional PDP makes poor use of the entire space of the discharge cell.
Fourth, when a discharge gas containing a high-concentration Xe gas with a 10% volume or higher is injected into the discharge cell, charged particles and excitons are on the increase due to the ionization and excitation reaction of atoms so that luminance and discharge efficiency are enhanced. However, owing to the application of the high-concentration Xe gas, an initial discharge firing voltage is undesirably elevated.